Clinicopathologic manifestations of early-onset endometrial cancer in Japanese women with a familial predisposition to cancer.

Aim: The number of patients under 40 years of age with early-onset endometrial cancer is on the rise in Japan. Preservation of fertility in younger patients is a critical issue. In order to examine the clinical and pathological characteristics of these patients, cases of early-onset endometrial cancer at a single hospital were analyzed.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration with fallopian tube adenocarcinoma.

Background: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is rarely caused by fallopian tube adenocarcinoma.

Case: We present a patient with PCD and fallopian tube cancer. Anti-Yo antibody, one of an anti-neuronal antibody, was positive in serum and cerebrospinal fluid.

Histoculture drug response assay to monitor chemoresponse.

We provide a detailed explanation of the procedure of the histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) end point among several modified HDRA procedures. Fresh surgical specimens are cut into approx 1- to 2-mm3 pieces and put on a gelatin sponge infiltrated with culture medium containing a test drug. After incubation for 7 d, cell viability is assessed by the MTT assay.

[Diagnostic significance of tumor markers for gynecologic malignancies].

Gynecologic malignancies include ovarian cancer, uterine cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and trophoblastic neoplasms. With ovarian tumors, due to their location within the abdominal cavity, it is difficult to make a preoperative pathological diagnosis of cancer without laparotomy. From this point of view, the use of tumor markers that consist of carbohydrate antigens, such as CA 125, in addition to diagnostic imaging are useful in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Clinical characteristics of prognostic factors in poorly differentiated (G3) endometrioid adenocarcinoma in Japan.

Background: It has been reported that prognosis is less favorable in poorly (G3) differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma than in well (G1) or moderately (G2) differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The goal of this study is therefore to analyze the prognosis of G3 endometrioid adenocarcinoma and various factors that may predict a favorable prognosis.

Method: This study included 699 Japanese cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma at the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) surgical stages I-IV (including 74 G3 cases).

HMMC-1: a humanized monoclonal antibody with therapeutic potential against Müllerian duct-related carcinomas.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to generate a human monoclonal antibody specific to gynecological cancers and to evaluate such an antibody as therapy for gynecological cancers.

Experimental Design: Transchromosomal KM mice were immunized with the human uterine endometrial cancer cell line SNG-S. Hybridomas were constructed between spleen cells from KM mice and mouse myeloma cells.

HMOCC-1, a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits adhesion of ovarian cancer cells to human mesothelial cells.

Objectives: Ovarian carcinoma is one of the most common gynecologic cancers and shows the worst prognosis since current therapies are not sufficiently effective at achieving and maintaining remission. To develop new treatment, a monoclonal antibody recognizing human ovarian cancer cells was raised in KM mice.

Methods: A human monoclonal antibody targeting RMG-I (an ovarian carcinoma cell line) was established with hybridomas of myeloma cells and spleen cells from KM mice.

Association of HNPCC and endometrial cancers.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is among the representative familial cancers that are autosomally dominant inherited disorders. Because endometrial cancers develop at high rates in women with HNPCC, it is suggested that some endometrial cancers are familial cancers that are induced by mutations of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes, as in HNPCC. To understand the clinical pathology of familial endometrial cancers that are associated with HNPCC, we surveyed the family histories of 385 patients with endometrial cancer and found that 0.

A novel retinoid, 4-[3,5-bis (trimethylsilyl) benzamido] benzoic acid (TAC-101), induces apoptosis of human ovarian carcinoma cells and shows potential as a new antitumor agent for clear cell adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: A novel retinobenzoic acid derivative, 4-[3,5-bis (trimethylsilyl) benzamido] benzoic acid (TAC-101), was reported to suppress the growth and invasion of human gastric cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma by induction of apoptosis. We examined the antitumor activity of TAC-101 against human ovarian carcinoma cell lines.

Methods: Apoptosis of human epithelial ovarian carcinoma-derived cell lines (RMG-I, RMG-II, RTSG, RMUG-S, RMUG-L, and KF) was investigated by detecting DNA laddering and was quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Two Japanese kindreds occurring endometrial cancer meeting new clinical criteria for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), Amsterdam Criteria II.

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), also called Lynch syndrome, is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder of cancer susceptibility. Patients with HNPCC exhibit an increased risk for HNPCC-associated extracolonic tumors such as cancer of the endometrium. HNPCC is associated with germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes: hMLH1, hMSH2 and hMSH6.

Unfavorable prognostic factors associated with high frequency of microsatellite instability and comparative genomic hybridization analysis in endometrial cancer.

Purpose: Although many articles have been published regarding chromosomal instability (CI) and microsatellite instability (MI) in endometrial adenocarcinoma, the relationship between prognostic factors and the biological mechanisms accounting for genetic instability in these tumors has not yet been precisely defined. To do that, it will be necessary to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in endometrial carcinogenesis.

Experimental Design: Tissue samples from 43 human primary endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinomas (EACs) were analyzed for CI and MI status using comparative genomic hybridization and 11 microsatellite loci, respectively.

Implantation-dependent expression of trophinin by maternal fallopian tube epithelia during tubal pregnancies: possible role of human chorionic gonadotrophin on ectopic pregnancy.

Trophinin, tastin, and bystin have been identified as molecules potentially involved in human embryo implantation. Both trophoblasts and endometrial epithelial cells express trophinin, which mediates apical cell adhesion through homophilic trophinin-trophinin binding. We hypothesized that trophinin's function in embryo implantation is unique to humans and investigated the expression of trophinin, tastin, and bystin in ectopic pregnancy, a condition unique to humans.

Identification of germline MSH2 gene mutations in endometrial cancer not fulfilling the new clinical criteria for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the second most common malignancy in patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). This cancer is caused by germline mutations in one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. The present study was undertaken to analyze the relation between microsatellite instability (MSI) and germline mutations of MMR genes.

Galactosyltransferase associated with tumor in patients with ovarian cancer: factors involved in elevation of serum galactosyltransferase.

The serum level of beta1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta1,4-GalT) is increased in both malignancy and benign diseases. Galactosyltransferase associated with tumor (GAT) is one of the soluble forms of beta1,4-GalT, and is a marker of ovarian cancer with a high specificity. GAT and normal soluble beta1,4-GalT are both derived from the same membrane-bound form of the enzyme.

Association of 17q21-q24 gain in ovarian clear cell adenocarcinomas with poor prognosis and identification of PPM1D and APPBP2 as likely amplification targets.

Purpose: Although tumor stage is considered a prognosticfeature for ovarian clear cell adenocarcinomas (OCCAs), it is not likely to fully account for the clinical and biological variability characteristic of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate aberrations of DNA copy number in OCCA tumors and identify genetic markers that would increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of OCCA and assist in more accurately predicting the outcome for an individual patient with this disease.

Experimental Design: We determined copy number aberrations among 20 primary OCCA tumors by means of comparative genomic hybridization and investigated their relationship to clinicopathological data.

kasT gene of Streptomyces kasugaensis M338-M1 encodes a DNA-binding protein which binds to intergenic region of kasU-kasJ in the kasugamycin biosynthesis gene cluster.

We previously reported that a 4.2 kb SacI-EcoRI DNA region from Streptomyces kasugaensis M338-M1, a kasugamycin (KSM) producer, included KSM transporter genes (kasKLM). As an extension of that study, a 3.

Primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina.

Primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina is a very rare tumor, with only eight cases diagnosed as carcinosarcoma in the literature that we are aware of. We recently encountered a case of primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina in a 75-year-old woman. The patient had a history of hysterectomy and bilateral ovariectomy for uterine corpus cancer at 55 years of age.

Effectiveness of mass screening for endometrial cancer.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of mass screening for endometrial cancer using Endocyte (Laboratoire CCD, Paris, France) endometrial smears.

Study Design: The study subjects were consecutive patients with documented endometrial cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1997, at 22 hospitals in Japan. One hundred twenty-six cases were detected by mass screening and 1,069 diagnosed in outpatient clinics.